pblackcrow wrote:In two days...the entire team walks in. The female asks "Have you finished identifying the stuff?"
The old man glances up with a welcoming smile, sweeping his arm out in a grand gesture, summoning a cadre of tables and a couple of chairs for everyone to get themselves comfortable around, the tables bearing platters of food and sweets as well as steaming mugs of hot cocoa, tankards of ale and mulled wine and cider. Slowly, his comfy rocking chair slides up behind him with a large red sack rolling along beside it. Settling into his chair he eyes them each in turn with a nod of greeting as he reaches into the sack and rummages around. "Welcome, welcome! Yes, I have identified every item you've all brought to me, and let me tell you, it is quite a trove. Sit, sit! grab a drink, have something to eat and get comfortable because this is quite a list... First..."
Ankh Necklace: This little beauty is quite a find. A rare artifact, often reserved for the higher ranking priests of the Church of Light and Dark, it acts as a standard holy symbol will for repelling Vampires and the undead, but this little 'vial' in the center here contains a few drops of what appears to be Vampire blood. And not just any Vampire blood... the blood of what the Vampire community would often refer to as a Methuselah, a very ancient and powerful Vampire. Using this ankh with the proper command words allows you to not only repel Vampires, but
control them as well as though they had fallen victim to an Animate and Command Dead spell/power/ability. However, Vampires are allowed a saving throw to resist this control. Master Vampires get a standard saving throw against Spell Magic. Secondary Vampires save against Spells at -2 and Wild Vampires save at -4. Vampire Intelligences are unaffected. It is said there are less than 50 of these in existence and are considered greater holy relics of the Church of Light and Dark, worthy of quite a reward if returned to them, if you are so inclined to do so.
Black Powder: My initial suspicions were confirmed when I tested this stuff. What you have here is roughly 4 oz of pure Black Jelly. (Monsters & Animals pg 26) Just dump a bit out of the vial, add water and run... fast!
Tiger Figurine: Again, my initial suspicions were confirmed in this being a Guardian Stone. (PFRPG pg 256-257) However, I also noticed an additional enchantment on it as well. This little bugger has also been set up to be used as a familiar of sorts. It acts as a normal Guardian Stone in that, when set to guard an area it springs to life and attacks the intruders. In this respect it is the equivalent of a Beastiary type Guardian Stone. However, you can also speak a command word to activate it and bring it to life yourself and command it as you please. It still possesses the same powers and abilities as a Beastiary Guardian Stone, plus the one who activated it can link their senses to the senses of the Stone like a familiar link, seeing and hearing what the activated stone sees and hears.
Puzzle Box: Let's just say... be
really careful with this thing. After a lot of research I strongly believe this to be
Dorhallin's Prison, a dangerous and powerful artifact created by a rather brilliant, if somewhat twisted Summoner who sought to create an alternate dimension he could use as a safe haven that only he could access. Using arcane knowledge lost since the Time of a Thousand magics, he tried creating a permanent Dimensional Portal inside a puzzle box that, when solved, would open to his safe haven, a Dimensional Pocket he himself created. What he got was, for lack of a better way of putting it, a fragmented and random Dimensional Portal, permanently locked inside this puzzle box. Anyone can try to solve the puzzle box and open the Portal, but, the first mistake that gets made in trying to open it instead opens a Dimensional Portal to a completely random dimension. If one could successfully open the box, the Dimensional Portal will open to Dorhallin's Dimensional Pocket and be able to access whatever treasures may lie within. However, opening the box properly requires the opener to roll 6 consecutive successful Locate Secret Compartments/Doors rolls with each one suffering a cumulative -10% penalty. Any failed roll will open a random Dimensional Portal that immediately swallows the opener, the box, and everyone within 10 feet of them. If the opener is actually successful, the puzzle box will open a Dimensional Portal leading to Dorhallin's Dimensional Pocket. Good luck!
Silver Dragon Crest Bracers: A rather handy pair of items that only function when the pair are used together by the same person. Touching the bracer worn on the right arm casts Armor of Ithan (PFRPG pg 192) around the wearer at 10th level proficiency. Touching the left bracer casts Breathe Fire (PFRPG pg 237) on the wearer, also at 10th level proficiency. If the pair are separated, neither will function.Oddly, it does not matter which bracer is worn on which arm, they will function as described either way.
Silver Dragon Figurine: Another exceptionally rare holy artifact. As to how rare, think on the level of the Chalice of Dragonwright. This is a one of a kind item from the Church of Dragonwright and is considered just as powerful, if not more so. This is Kym-Nark-Mar's Liason. It is used to communicate directly with the Dragon God himself using the proper ritual to do so. The ritual consists of a massive sacrifice, usually a treasure worth a King's ransom, (at least 100,000 gold pieces worth) or a powerful magical item or two (lesser Rune items might be a good start). During the ritual, the figurine is placed atop the treasure to be sacrificed as the proper ritual incantations are recited by a Priest of Dragonwright. At the culmination of the ritual (about an hour later) the treasure vanishes in a blinding flash of light and Kym-Nark-Mar himself
may speak through the figurine to whoever is present. (30% chance, Kym-Nark-Mar rarely involves himself in the affairs of mortals) If he does deign to speak to the petitioners, he may be asked for advice, answer a question (maybe two if he's feeling generous) or even cast a spell through the figurine at a target of the petitioner's choice. Under no circumstances will Kym-Nark-Mar teach a spell to anyone, nor will he feel obligated to perform any tasks whatsoever and he will NOT return any treasure sacrificed to him. (He IS a Dragon God after all) The Church of Dragonwright would be VERY grateful to anyone returning this artifact.
Silver Gong: A small (about 8 inch diameter) silver gong resembling a typical musical instrument engraved with arcane symbols around the edge of its face. When struck, the gong emits a powerful sonic wave that inflicts 2d6 damage to everything in front of it out to a range of 100 feet, knocking them all off their feet (70% chance, lose Initiative and 1 attack if affected) as well as causing deafness to everyone within a 50 foot radius around the gong (Save vs Spell Magic to avoid, failure results in a -4 to parry and dodge, cannot defend against attacks from the rear, lasts for 1d6 melees) Only the one striking the gong is unaffected. The gong's power may be activated up to 4 times per day and when not activated can be used as a standard musical instrument (actually sounds pretty nice too
)
Silver Dragon Ring: Sadly, the least spectacular of the lot, though still a pretty good find. It is a simple protection ring providing resistance to Fire and Cold (1/2 damage for 2 hours 3 times per day each) as well as a constant +1 to save against Spell Magic. Other than that... a very beautiful piece.
Bow: Wow... now this is a handy item. This is a bow enchanted similarly to one of my items called the Fang. It can be used to summon any normal animal in whatever area you may be in. (30% chance a predator is summoned, otherwise it will be a prey animal) Once summoned the animal will remain in the area for 5 melee rounds. During that time you may opt to attack the animal or let it go. If the animal is attacked, it will remain in the battle for the 5 melee duration of the enchantment, after which it will either flee (70% for prey animals, 50% for predators) or remain and fight to the death. A fleeing animal may be pursued, of course. Damage from the bow (guessing it's a longbow, was never specified initially) is the standard 2d6 unless it is used to engage an animal it has summoned. Then its damage jumps to 4d6 and gains a +2 to Strike for the 5 melee duration of the fight. (Note: if, after the first 5 melees the animal is still alive, whether it flees or fights, the bow's damage drops back down to 2d6 and the Strike bonus no longer applies) If the user of the bow opts to let the animal go, it will remain in the area for the 5 melee duration before leaving peacefully. Only normal animals are summoned by the bow (tigers, bears, deer, sheep, etc.) no creatures of magic or intelligent animal-like creatures.
Fan: I have to admit, this is an interesting device. I was told it emits a sonic wave that affects people in odd ways. What it actually does is affect them with a variety of Psionic abilities. The wielder must first select a target by pointing the folded fan at them. At this point they must make a saving throw against spell magic. If the victim succeeds, the fan will remain closed and locked. If the save fails, the fan will open and the victim is essentially the target of a Telekinesis spell with the motions of the fan directing the motions of their body. Waving the fan up and down causes them to bounce up and down on the ground, back and forth drags them around back and forth on the ground, twisting turning or otherwise whipping the fan around causes any number of out of control motions you can think of. Duration of the control lasts for up to 10 melee rounds after which the fan snaps shut and the control ends with the victim regaining control of their movements. The fan may be activated up to 4 times per 24 hour period.
Blue Crystal Pyramid: This one stumped me for a while, but after a bit of research, poking and prodding i have discovered a very disturbing thing... this crystal pyramid contains... well there's no easy way to say it... but it contains a portable Ley Line Nexus Point! I don't know how, but it's in there! And, the most dangerous part about it is that it functions exactly as a Nexus Point should including a steady supply of PPE, reacting to particular planetary alignments and calendar events such as eclipses and solstices. I'd even wager you could open a Dimensional Portal/Rift from this thing. Please...
please! Either handle this with extreme care and caution... or get rid of it as quickly as you can!
The old man sets the final piece carefully to the side and leans back in his chair, taking up a steaming cup of tea and slowly sipping from it, peering over the rim at the group with a curiously silent gaze.
Sure, lions and tigers are stronger...
But I've never seen a wolf jump through hoops in a circus